#Plottr

[literaryaida]

18.02.24. Moved to the other side of the apartment, setting out my little writing corner, for the weekends at least. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, so much to read and plot and write. Any advice is welcomed. Hope you are good.

[ambrossart]

I've seen the screenshots you shared of your outlining/plotting process and I'm curious- what software do you use to keep track of all the story and character details?

Could you be referring to Plottr?

This one? ☝️

I've actually stopped using Plottr. It's a great app, probably one of the best out there, but I found that it was feeding a lot of my bad habits. I have a tendency to get stuck in the pre-writing stage (as well as the editing stage, but that's a separate issue), and I found that I was wasting a lot of time messing around on this app. I can't afford to do that anymore. My writing time is too limited.

So I decided to strip-down my approach.

Currently, I've limited myself to three apps/devices:

Aeon Timeline for my plotting/planning

my smart typewriter for freewriting/early drafting

and Ulysses as my main word-processor

Out of all the plotting apps I've tried (and I've tried just about all of them), Aeon Timeline is the only one I've used consistently.

It’s basically a giant database. You can use it to store your characters, locations, events, whatever you want. And you can view this data in a number of ways, including of course, as a timeline. It’s a great reference source for your fanfic, novel, or book series. I’ve been using it for years.

Aeon Timeline

Freewrite Smart Typewriter

Ulysses

[j-mcguirebooks]

Writing Progress Update

Had an excellent 4 days attending the Storygarden Summit. Lots of great information on plotting, editing and marketing by Plottr, Draft2Digital, Fictionary and so many others! It really inspired me to get back behind the (writing) desk. Currently in the process of a rough outline of my series before I do a more detailed outline of my first book in it, following the advice from Lisa Cron’s ‘Story Genius’ (such great advice!!!). I will share some updates on my Plotting process when I get to the individual book outlining.

[cooingcrow]

Update

Hey, been a hot minute, hasn’t it? How you doing, lovelies? I’ve been-- I’ve been... Oh boy have I been. Still trying to get my mental health under control. Atm I’m weaning off of some meds that I suspect might be giving me some problems, unfortunately it’s my ADHD meds and now my brain is all sorts of haha confused. We’ll seen real soon if that’s what the problem was. 

Heck it’s hard to focus right now, but you know, I been getting some decent work done recently. Haven’t felt like working on any of my shorter stories or fan fics I wanted to pump out, but that’s because I’ve been testing a new program to help me with outlining. Plottr, it has a tagging system to it so that tickles my brain nicely, yeeeees. I’m doing some hard stress testing with it by helping me plan a book, one that’s part of a series I’ve had on my mind for some time now. We got a transbian werewolf, a rootin tootin sharp shooten cowgirl, the gay mafia, and a spider mommy. In the center of it all we mostly follow a poor woman stuck in the middle of it all with a magic book that has all her secrets, but she’s the only one who can’t read it. But hey, at least it comes with an annoying magic bird, right?

The world I’m crafting is one I’ve had on my mind for ages but I’m now getting around to starting to solidify it. I want it to exist and if I’m not in the headspace to write, I can at least plan. I don’t know when I’ll get around to writing it. If I have to be honest, I’d like to do a few short stories beforehand to score some more practice before getting into something as big as this. Still, I’m having a lot of fun putting the pieces together. I just need to get past the med situation because I have noooo idea what to expect for my health in the near future. I just know that right now I’m stuck with weekly anxiety attacks and that blows. 

Anyways, hopefully I’ll have more updates coming soon, especially for the writing. I’m just craving to write another poly pairing but you know, way messier than my FE fic. I’m feeling inspired by a friend to make my work more bitey. Like, damn these girls gay and have problems. Kissing is probably not going to fix this (it might actually make some things worse) but--

(My head is fuzzy right now from the meds. If this post doesn’t make sense, do a homie a favor and pretend that it did. Please and thank you) :)

[merrybond]

Why rebuild the wheel? There’s a template for that!

Two of the most popular apps used in fiction writing are Scrivener and Plottr. Scrivener is incredibly powerful and wide-ranging having so many features most authors don’t even use half of them. Plottr is more simple but getting broader in scope all the time. The thing is, no matter which program you use, you’ll need to organize your work somehow. That’s where templates come in. Other authors…

[bloseroseone]

What is Plottr? An Introduction to the Plot Planning Tool

What is Plottr?

Plottr is an effective tool for arranging stories that writers can use to arrange and illustrate their thoughts. Regardless of your genre novel, screenplay, or nonfiction Plottr offers an organized yet adaptable method for structuring your narrative.

Plottr enables writers to comprehensively track their character arcs and plot developments through the use of customisable templates, character profiles, and visual timelines.

Why is Plottr Important for Writers?

Plottr is essential for writers who want to streamline their creative process. It helps you avoid the chaos of scattered notes and disorganized plots. With Plottr, you can see your story’s structure at a glance, making it easier to identify plot holes, ensure continuity, and develop a compelling narrative.

Getting Started with Plottr

Downloading and Installing Plottr

Plottr is simple to use and get started with. Plottr is available for download on their official website. You may quickly and easily set up the tool on your laptop or computer thanks to the easy installation process. After installation, you may immediately begin to explore its capabilities.

Initial Setup and Configuration

When you first launch Plottr, a setup prompt will appear. This includes setting up the fundamentals, like the writing format you want, and integrating any third-party tools you might need. You may quickly begin plotting with Plottr’s intuitive interface, which walks you through these preliminary stages....Continue reading

[oliversrarebooks]

[somer-writes]

Through what medium do you primarily write? (Pencil, computer, voice to type, old timer typewriter, what?)

ya boi is a computer girlie 💕 i hand write when i am desperate and need creative relief (usually while traveling). i need to start keeping a pocket notebook to write down the weird ideas i get in the middle of the day and promptly forget.

i would LOVE a typewriter but i make dumb mistakes and also the ease of uploading work directly to platforms is very nice. plus you cant mail manuscripts to most publishing houses any longer and i dont own a scanner.

i have seen those dedicated word processor doodads. the “e typewriters” which are cool and also stupid expensive???

for writing software i do my non serious work in gdocs. I’ve saved everything I’ve ever written since 2011 and it’s sitting in my drive rn. i used to use to word but once my license was up i moved to gdocs exclusively. despite having a MacBook i despise the AppleWorks suite so i don’t use pages. for my more serious projects i use scrivener and am still learning how to use scrivener. its good for trad formatting and moving stuff around easily just annoying to figure out bc its not all that intuitive. I’ve tried plottr in the past and it wasn’t for me and ive used campfire as well but ended up gifting my license to a dm friend of mine since it’s more equipped for that.

If you want a good free writing software i highly recommend pagefour. It’s based on Ms word 2013 and uses open office. its very similar to scrivener,

[novafire-is-thinking]

Google Docs - for writing the stories

Why?

I do most of my writing on my phone and iPad, with the occasional desktop writing session, so I need an app that’s both free to download and syncs across devices without requiring a subscription. The same can’t be said of some apps (glaring at you, MS Word and Obsidian).

I can change the page color, text colors, and font for each story I write. I despise staring at the same colors and fonts every time, and even though Word allows these changes…*points to previous bullet point*

It’s easy to share with beta readers and collaborators as needed.

iPhone/iPad Notes app - for character notes and random ideas

Why?

Pure convenience. It’s there, it’s free, and it syncs between my iOS devices, thanks to iCloud.

I get random character and story insights throughout the day, and there’s something about the UI of the Notes app that makes it better suited for jotting down quick notes than any other app I’ve tried so far.

Notion - for organizing and outlining story ideas, and tracking progress on fics

Why?

I have a simple database for all my fic ideas, which I can organize by continuity and completion status.

Each fic idea gets its own page, and I can link or screenshot the thing (post, Discord convo, etc.) that inspired it, create an interactive outline once I start writing, and jot down notes for future reference.

plz reblog for science

[infamous-if]

unsolicited recs from an if author to other if authors but if anyone is looking for any programs that may be helpful in outlining interactive fiction I def recommend scrapple which is a chart based program thats really helpful in breaking down scenes that branch! for example, this is how it helped me break down chapter 2!

and I have recently discovered Plottr that im going to use for my rewrite and it looks really useful so far! (excuse the "something happens" example I was just trying to show how it looks lols)

they aren't completely free but they do offer free trials. I do think scrapple is 100% worth the money and have been using it religiously for years. ive just started using Plottr but I like it so far!

and unrelated but if you like keeping track of your work or you like setting deadlines: pacemaker is amazing for that hehe (and the free version has all the features you need!)

anyway this sounds sponsored but it's not! I've just been using them and thought it'd be nice to share for people who work best with visual aids when writing like me!

[writingquestionsanswered]

Is there a "story organizer" or something like that? I have a story in mind, but I feel like I have too many ideas going around and I need to visualize them together to make it into and actual story. The beginning and the ending are very clear (actually, that is what I managed to write). I made a rough outline that has the most important stuff, but I still feel unsure. Sorry for my English.

Organizing (and Plotting) Your Story

While there are actual story organizers (I'll get to that in a minute), I think what you're probably actually looking for is story structure. Most stories fall into a basic structure, which looks like:

See: Basic Story Structure for explanation.

However, lots of people have analyzed popular stories and come up with their own theories about how structure works. No one structure is right or wrong, and for that reason, many writers use elements of multiple structure theories at the same time. They're just a helpful guide to help you organize all those ideas into a functional plot. My post Creating a Detailed Story Outline list some of the most popular ones, but there are many others out there.

There are actually also actual story organizers if you're interested in something like that, too. They're typically called "novel planning software" if you want to look into some. Scrivener and Liquid Story Binder both function as digital binders that allow you to organize your story into chapters and create sections for things like characters, scene lists, storyboards, etc. I have used both and liked them. NovelPad is similar but I haven't used it. Plottr is one I played with but don't remember much about it. However, it goes a little further in that it actually helps you plan your story using genre prompts or your chosen structure theory. These are essentially storytelling templates, but you can use Plottr without templates as well. The Novel Factory sounds like kind of a cross between Scrivener and Plottr, where it's both about organizing and helping you plan your story. There are others out there (Google: novel planning software) and a lot of them cost money, but they also do sales (particularly around this time of year) and some of them offer free trials.

I hope that helps!

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[ambrossart]

what app do you use to story plot? i love the layout and i’ve been looking for a new one to use!

Currently, I'm using Plottr. I believe they have a 14-day trial on their website if you want to test it out.

I bought it initially because I liked that there was a mobile app as well, but the mobile app is pretty buggy, so I wouldn't personally recommend that. I think the devs are working on an update for the mobile app, so maybe that'll fix some of the issues.

Anyway, the desktop app itself is pretty handy. I like that there's a timeline view and a more detailed outline view (pictured below).

I also like that there's a place for your characters and locations.

It's pretty easy to use and there are lots of templates available if you need some help organizing your ideas. So far, I've only used it to organize my most recent short story, but we'll see how it handles my longer works.

[serahadmoni]

Writing Resources

My New Year’s gift to my moots and beyond because I’m still not sure if I’ll finish this one-shot in time, despite my best efforts. Being at my parents’ place through the holidays means my writing time is commandeered, mostly by my mum and nephews. Which is a wonderful problem to have.

Anyway, on to the meat:

WordHippo: Think of it like a thesaurus on steroids. Simply the best when you’re looking for a word that you just can’t quite put a finger on. I have the app installed on my phone. It’s invaluable.

ProWritingAid: I purchased the lifetime Premium version ages ago and I still think it was worth the investment. There’s a plugin that works to provide feedback directly in GDocs as well. The blog on their site has all sorts of general tips for fiction and non-fiction writers alike.

ProWritingAid - Free Name Generators: Useful for naming characters, towns, creatures, swords.

Scrivener - My tool of choice for planning long projects. Allows for picture inserts, character profiles, scene timelines. Gathers and organizes the bottom of the iceberg.

Plottr - Another amazing organizational tool for long form work.

AutoCrit - Also not my personal tool of choice, but might be yours. Like ProWritingAid provides suggestions beyond simple grammatical corrections.

FightWrite Blog - My go-to for fight scenes, adrenaline and injury impacts, blade damage, etc. If/when I write a fight scene, this is where I go.

[fanastraea]

what i really want for plotting is something LIKE this, but

the ability to add a short description of what i planned for each plot point, then chapter, that remains visible, and

2. the ability to rearrange things in the top structure more easily than plottr's visually challenging system

I can do this in Obsidian BUT... it's not very elegant and i can't just easily move scenes around to put them in the order i want

Scrivener also has a way to see organization and move things around but again, I can't easily see descriptions of things like Plot Points or Chapters, so I have to remember it all while figuring out scenes that will fit

idk how other writers manage all this but with adhd i only have so much working memory.

[inkwell-chronicles]

Balancing Innovation and Integrity: Using AI to Enhance Your Writing

With advancements in AI and writing tools, it can be helpful for writers to use technology to improve their craft. Even though many use AI to write for them and often plagiarize it, it can be beneficial in other ways. From AI-driven grammar checkers and style enhancers to writing software that helps with plotting and character development, these tools can streamline the writing process and help you focus on creativity.

Additionally, writing software such as Scrivener and Plottr can assist with organizing your thoughts, plotting intricate storylines, and developing well-rounded characters. These tools can allow you to streamline the writing process while reducing the time spent on administrative tasks. It frees up more time for creative exploration and the ability to dig deeper into the plot.

However, it's important to use these tools ethically. While AI can assist with various aspects of writing, relying on it to create work entirely on your behalf undermines the authenticity and personal touch that define great writing. Misusing AI to generate content without your input can lead to work lacking originality and depth and may raise questions about authorship and integrity. Many use AI to cheat, plagiarize, and overall abuse the technology, undermining the authenticity and originality that define true creative work.

Incorporating technology into your writing practice should enhance your creative input, not replace it. These tools are valuable allies that can help you craft compelling narratives and engaging content, but the heart of your writing should always come from you. Use AI to augment your skills, not as a substitute for your creativity and effort.

By balancing the benefits of AI with responsible usage, you can leverage technology to become a more effective and inspired writer, while maintaining the authenticity and integrity of your work.

[genericpuff]

How long do you usually take to plan for a really long story/comic? Do you do a rough plan or a fully detailed one? Any apps you use for planning?

Thank you in advance!

It depends on the project. For my long-term series, it definitely takes me a good while to finalize everything from start to finish, but as a general rule, I try to keep my writing one step ahead of where I'm drawing, for two purposes: so I can have a goal in mind to propel the comic forward (I don't want to be writing or drawing on the fly more than I have to), and so I can have enough planned ahead for editing, because by the time I get to the thing I've planned, my writing has likely grown more and my perspective on it has shifted, so I'm not releasing "first takes", so to speak.

Usually I use LibreOffice and just sort of keep a few separate files for different purposes. I always have a "[story] shit" file of some kind where I just dump thoughts and notes that I don't wanna lose lmao but then I usually also have a file that's meant for outlining. I think Rekindled is the first comic where I haven't employed my spreadsheet method, which is when I'd use Excel/Spreadsheets to lay out panel descriptions and dialogue. So like this:

(Episode 14 of Time Gate: [AFTERBIRTH])

Rekindled is more just note-taking, what I want to happen in each episode, and if there's any dialogue I come up with that I definitely want to include, I write it down in there. I've done all of Rekindled's process through Scrivener, which I learned how to use shortly before starting it. IDK yet if I like Scrivener enough to use it for my bigger projects, but it's been helpful for organization and keeping my files all in one central "hub" area.

So right now I have up to about Episode 70 drafted out like that ^^^ but things do change during the actual production of the episodes. Sometimes I'll write something in my notes that doesn't flow well in actual comic form. Sometimes I'll write dialogue during the sketching stage that I don't like anymore by the time I get to the final rendering. It's all a stage-by-stage process from drafting to final release.

The question of "how long" really just comes down to the note-taking process. I tend to work in bursts, the last time I did any written episode layouts was a few weeks ago and that was because I got like, 40+ episodes done in a day LOL So I'm all set for the next little bit, but I'll have to get back to planning by Episode 50 if I haven't done any before then. I'd like to have the entirety of Rekindled plotted out by the end of the year so I can get a more exact answer of how long Rekindled will be :' )

When it comes to software/apps, keep it simple, use what you know. I've been using standard word editors and spreadsheets for years now because it works for me. Scrivener's been fun to learn but as I mentioned, IDK if I'm gonna be able to stick with it for bigger projects like Time Gate because it feels like I'm wearing different shoes that I'm not used to lol But that's just me, feeling "at home" with my software is just an important thing to me, for others it might not matter so much. Scrivener definitely has the most features for drafting/writing/editing, but it's also not very beginner-friendly and there's a huge learning curve to really understanding how the software is designed and what it fully offers.

There's also Plottr which I've been using for [AFTERBIRTH], it's really helpful for people who need visual aids because it allows you to lay out story timelines through imagery. But I really only use it for laying out story beats from end to end, I don't use it much beyond that, any extensive note taking or scripting happens in actual word documents.

(idk if this is how you're actually supposed to use Plottr but it's how I use it so w/e lolol)

Ultimately it's all up to you, what works for me might not work for others so don't be afraid to try things even if it ends up not working out for you. Obv that might be a bit more of a "nah" when it comes to paid software like Scrivener and Plottr, but there are loads of tutorials on Youtube that teach you how to use the software that you can hopefully use as a glimpse into how they work to see if they'd be up your alley before paying money for 'em.

Hope that helps! ˋ( ° ▽、° )